As the juggernaut of Team Sky and British Cycling take their places on the podium in the grand tours and on the velodrome, a two wheeled revolution has taken hold on the streets of Manchester.
ARTCRANK, billed as “A poster party for bike people,” will host its first-ever show in Manchester at 2022NQ on Dale Street on 12 July, 2012.
ARTCRANK MCR will feature hand-made, bike-inspired posters created by artists from Manchester. Admission is free, and limited edition, signed and numbered copies of all posters will be available for £30 each.
Where you find bikes, you’re sure to find creative minds, and ARTCRANK Manchester is no exception. At the 12 July opening night party, a selection of fine art prints will be available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds going to support Simply Cycling, a nonprofit organization that uses bicycles to bring together young people of all abilities.
Manchester-based creativeagency Retrofuzz will showcase their creative flair and technical savvy at the opening night party. Lezyne will be flaunting their supremely slick lighting and inflation gear. Colorplan will host live screenprinting on opening night and will provide their world-class papers for the limited edition prints featured at the show.
“One of the big ideas behind ARTCRANK has always been making art as accessible to people as bikes are,” says ARTCRANK Manchester organizer Chris Verbick. “Part of that is price — it’s pretty cool to be able offer limited edition, handmade posters for 30 pounds. But it’s also about introducing people to the artists who live in and work in their community. Manchester’s undergone a real cycling renaissance in recent years, and we’re excited to reach out to people who just discovering — or rediscovering — the simple joy of riding a bike.”
“We’re super excited to be bringing ARTCRANK to Manchester for the first time thanks to our good friends at RetroFuzz” says Chris Verbick from ARTCRANK. “having put on amazing shows in London it’s nice to head North and to engage with such a vibrant design and riding scene.
We’ve been welcomed with open arms and it’s inspiring to be meeting and working with such talented people.”
When it comes to the connection between bicycles and art, Verbick thinks the two are more alike than different. “Riding a bike is a form of creative expression,” says Verbick, adding “Even if you ride the same streets every day, the experience is always different. I’m amazed by the way people channel that sense of freedom and possibility into poster designs, and I can’t wait to see what our artists come up with.”
